It’s a score spied on every year. How is the morale of Luxembourg employees? The answer: not great… With a score of 53.4 (on a scale from 0 to 100), “we have reached the lowest level” since the index was created in 2014, stressed the president of the Chamber of Employees (Chambre des salariés, CSL), 
Conducted among more than 3,100 employees who answered some 200 questions, the 2026 edition of Quality of Work continues to paint a picture that is worrying, to say the least. “A structural deterioration,” observes management consultant David Büchel, who is also an occupational psychologist.
Who has the most to complain about?
After a post-pandemic rebound (from 53.5 in 2020 to 54.9 in 2022), the quality of work index is continuing what looks like a slow decline. Managers and executives (57.8) fare better, as do information and communication professions (56.1). On the other hand, it’s a disaster in commerce, transport and the hotel and catering industry (50.1), as well as—and above all—in occupations such as machine operators and assembly workers (46.0).
The family situation also plays a big part in the final score: just 51.9 for single parents, knocked out by the mental load.
Does teleworking help you feel better?
It certainly looks like it. French cross-border commuters are among the employees who report the most difficulties (index of 51.2). On the other hand, a dose of teleworking immediately makes working life brighter: the index reaches 56.7 for people entitled to home office, compared with 51.9 for workers working solely on site.
Is AI scary?
Yes, it is, and this is one factor explaining the erosion of the index over the past three years. In 2023, 32% of respondents said they feared losing their jobs as a result of technological advances. By 2025, this proportion had risen to 36%, with “concerns especially among young people, cross-border commuters, intermediate qualifications and the private and technology sectors,” lists the CSL.
Women, senior citizens, residents, public sector employees and those working in health or social work are less concerned.
Has mental health improved?
Not surprisingly, the answer is no. Risk of burnout, depression, suicidal thoughts… All these indicators are up on the previous edition. More than one employee in three (36%) mentions a moderate or high risk of burnout, a figure that has risen by around 10 points since last year. Women, 25–34 year-olds, sectors under pressure (such as retail, hospitality, health, etc.) and occupations with high levels of physical strain or atypical working hours are among those most at risk.
What impact on the physical?
“A sign of chronic stress,” according to the CSL, “physical health is also deteriorating”. Backache, headaches, joint problems, ulcers… Everywhere, the scores continue to climb. Against this backdrop, insomnia resonates as the ailment of the century: 30% of employees now claim to suffer from sleep problems.
Does labour shortage play a role?
Again, yes. The proof: 6 out of 10 employees say that their sector of activity is affected by staff shortages. And for 42.3% of them, the situation has been going on for more than a year and a half. As a result, 38% of those observing that this situation is contributing to an overload of tasks or degrading the quality of their work are considering leaving their post.
What about career mobility?
“It’s getting more complicated,” laments the CSL, which notes that 45.9% of employees surveyed report difficulties in changing jobs, a score that records its “first significant rise since 2014”. 42.1% of respondents also report conflicts in their work/life balance, an increase of more than 5 points in one year.
